Pencil-counting machine.



E. KOLB.

PENCIL COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1913.

Patented June 9, 1914.

3 SHEETS-BHEBT 1.

N I I II I A" II M "If .1 I .H' 1H I I I I IMP Hm! M ll 1 I l mg 7 F2 32% Z3 if WiTNE5EJE5 INVENTEJR ATTUHNEYE.

E. KOLB.

PENCIL COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1913,

1,099,705 Pa ented 11110 9.1914.

s sums-81mm- 2.

v INVE TD H WiTNEi-EaEE: sam k042 www 11 $7 W AT rnFqNF E E. KOLB.

PENCIL COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1913. 99,705 Patented June 9, 1914.

' SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'INvENTuR I'll @0 4 ATTQRNE YE NTTE ST,

ans n FFQE.

EDWARD KOLB, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK.

roegros.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Application filed July 22, 1913. Serial No. 780,416.

,To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD KoLB, a citizenof the United States, residing at Lockport, in the county of Niagara andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inPencil-Counting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine designed more especially forautomatically counting lead pencils, but it may be used for countingother articles of similar di1ne11- sions.

Tt is customary among pencil manufacturers to Wrap pencils in packageseach containing a dozen and to place a greater or less number of suchpackages in boxes of suitable size. The counting of the pencils isordinarily done by hand, which is a comparatively slow operationrequiring a large number of operatives.

The object of my invention is the pro vision of a simple, durable andcompact machine which will count the pencils in a re liable andexpeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machineembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereofviewed from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a frontview of the machine. Fig. 4L is a vertical longitudinal section thereof.on lilies 4-4:, Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same with aportion of the hopper-bottom broken away to expose the parts heneath.Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged sectional side elevations of theclutch-mechanism and the movable pencil receiver controlling the same,showing different positions of the parts. Fig. 9 is an enlarged insideview of said mechanism. Fig. 10 is a View of said mechanism at rightangles to Fig. 9.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

1 indicates a main feed hopper which receives the pencils or otherarticles to be counted, which latter are placed crosswise in the hopper.In the construction shown, the hopper is mounted on a pair of rear legsor standards 2 and a front standard 4 indicates the outlet of the hopperwhich extends from side to side thereof, and 5 a substantially verticalchute arranged to receive the pencils from the outlet. The length ofthis chute from side to side is coextensive with the width of thehopper, while the width of the chute from front to back is justsuilicient to freely receive a single row of pencils. As shown at G inFig. 3, the front Wall of the chute is slotted centrally or cut away toexpose the pencils therein to the view of the operator and enable him tostraighten or remove any of the pencils in case the chute should becomeclogged from any cause. The closed sides of the chute are formed bydownward extensions 7 of the side walls of the hopper.

Suitable devices for feeding the pencils one at a time to the chute andfor straightening them before entering it, are preferably employed. Thefeed devices shown in the drawings comprise a number of pairs of opposing feed wheels 8 arranged between the discharge opening of thehopper and the mouth of the chute and at the front and rear sides of thelatter. The wheels preferably have roughened or corrugated edges, asshown. The front and rear sets of wheels are properly spaced to admitthe descending pencils between them without marring the pencils, and thetwo sets are respectively mounted on horizontal front and rear shafts 9and 10 supported transversely in the standards 2 and the hopper walls 7.These shafts are rocked or oscillated in opposite di-- rections by anyappropriate mechanism, that shown in the drawings, Figs. 2, 8 and 5,comprising an oscillating gear segment 11 journalcd on a stud 12 carriedby the hopper, and a pair of segmental pinions 18 and 14 meshing withsaid segment. The latter is connected by a rod 15 with the wrist pin ofa gear pinion 16 which meshes with a large gear wheel 17 secured to themain shaft 18 of the machine. By the oscillating movement thus impartedto the opposing feed wheels, the pencils on entering between the sameare alternately lifted and dropped, thus agitating them and causing themto roll freely into the chute and fall straight one upon another. Inaddition to these feed wheels, one or more auxiliary or pencilstraightening wheels 19 may be employed. These auxiliary wheels aremounted loosely on the front shaft 9 between the corrugated feed wheels8 carried by the same shaft, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. By thisprovision, should a number of pencils become crossed or assume a more orless oblique position in approachingor passing over said corrugatedwheels, they will be momentarily supring or agitating them ported on oneor the other of said loose and relatively-stationary wheels and the massof pencils behind those crooked pencils will by their weight straightenthem, delivering them in that position to the feed wheels and by thelatter into the chute 5.

To further insure the delivery of the pencils to the chute in a straightposition, a flail or beater 20 is preferably employed which is adaptedto strike the exposed cen tral portions of the pencils as they arriveabove the mouth of the chute, thereby jarand tending to straighten anythat may be more or less crooked. In the construction shown, this fiailconsists of an elastic or spring-arm secured to the rear rock shaft 10and carrying a ball 21 which vibrates through a longitudinal slot 22 inthe bottom of the hopper.

Arranged at the bottom of the chute 5 are a number of upright, rotarycounting devices or wheels 23 secured side by side upon the main shaft18, as shown. The machine illustrated in the drawings has two of suchwheels arranged under opposite ends of the chute but a different numbermay be used, if desired. Each of these wheels is provided in itsperiphery with equidistant article-receiving seats or notches 2 1,corresponding to the number of articles to be counted by the machine ata time, the wheels having a dozen when used for counting pencils, asshown. The seats of the two counting wheels are arranged in horizontalalinement to support and carry the pencils in a level position orparallel with the shaft of said wheels. In the preferred constructionshown, the edges of the counting wheels are notched in the form ofratchet teeth and the spaces between them are curved or concave to formthe pencil-seats.

Located on the delivery side of theco'unting wheels is a pencil receiveror receptacle which in the construction shown consists of a pair ofseparated U-shaped pockets 25 which receive the end portions of thecounted pencils, leaving their intermediate portions free to be graspedby the operator in removing them. These receiver-pockets are carried bythe rear ends of verticallymovable arms 26 pivoted at their o positeends upon a transverse rod 27 supported by the wall-extensions 7 Aspring 28 serves to yieldingly hold these arms and the receiverpocketsin their normal elevated position. This spring is secured at its upperend to the front of the chute 5 and at its lower end to a cross piece 29connecting the arms 26.

30 indicates a pair of yieldable stopfingers respectively arrangedadjacent to the upper edges of the counting wheels 23 to prevent thethirteenth pencil or the first of the succeeding batch from beingreleased and thrown into the receiver 25 by centrifugal force when saidwheels are stopped after the delivery of the twelfth pencil ashereinafter described. The shanks or arms 31 of these stop-fingers arepreferably in the form of wide loops, so that in case a pencil shouldbecome disarranged after leaving the chute it can be readily withdrawnfrom the counting wheels.

The main shaft 18 is adapted to be automatically thrown out of gear withits driving mechanism after the machine has counted a dozen or otherpredetermined number of pencils or other articles, and to be againthrown into gear with the driving mechanism preferably by depressing thepencil-receiver 25 in the act of removing the counted batch of pencilstherefrom. The preferred mechanism shown in the drawings for thispurpose is constructed as follows: Loosely mounted on the projecting endof the driving shaft 18 is a driving wheel or pulley 32 to which powermay be transmitted by a belt 33 or other suitable means. To the hub ofthis pulley is fixed one-member of a clutch which consists of a notchedor ratchet disk 341, while the adjacent portion of the driving shaftcarries the other clutch member which consists of a hook or pawl 35pivoted to an arm 36 secured to said shaft. At its hooked end this pawlcarries a pin 37 which projects laterally into a longitudinal slot 38formed in an arm 39 secured to the main shaft, as shown in Figs. 9 and10. The pawl is yieldingly held in engagement with the clutch disk by aspring 40 connecting its pin 37 with the arm 39. Extending upwardly fromthe hub of the pawl is a trip arm 4:1 having a laterallyprojecting lug42 adapted to strike a similar lug 13 of a movable stop or arm 1 1 afterthe main shaft and the counting wheels 23 have made one completerevolution. At its upper end this stop arm is pivoted by a transversepin 15 to a bracket 16 located on the outer side of the hopper 1 andcarried by the adjacent receiver-arm 26, so as to rise and fall with thereceiver. The stop arm 44 is constantly urged toward a shoulder 17 ofthe bracket 46 by a spring 18, in which position the lug 13 of said armstands in the rotary path of travel of the lug 12 of the trip arm 11, asshown in Fig. 8. Arranged on the front side of said stop arm andprojecting into its path of movement is a fixed stop or lug 19 carriedby the bracket 16.

50 indicates a cam secured to the main shaft 18, preferably on the outerside of the gear wheel 17 and 51 indicates a roller engaging the cam andcarried by a spring arm secured to the adjacent standard 2. These partscooperate with the clutch as hereinafter described.

If desired the pencils to be counted may be placed directly in thehopper 1, but preferably a number of interchangeable suppleincntalhoppers are used in conjunction therewith, one of which is shown at 53.This supplemental hopper may be made of sheet metal, such as tin. and isremovably seated in the main hopper. It has straight walls and a slopingbottom conforming to the corresponding parts of the main hopper. Therear portion of its bottom has a central longitudinal slot 54corresponding to that of the main hopper, and it has an outlet 55. Thelatter and the slot 54 may be closed by a slide 56. In the use of themachine, a supplemental hopper with its slide closed is filled withpencils, said hopper is placed in the main hopper as shown in thedrawings, and the slide 56 is then withdrawn, allowing the pencils toescape through the outlet and enter between the feed wheels 8 and 9. Bythe use of such supplemental hoppers. one can be filled by an attendantwhile the other is being emptied by the machine, and the empty hoppercan be quickly replaced by the filled one.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The pulley 32 and the clutchdisk 34 are constantly driven in the direction of the arrow. WVhen thepencil-receiver 25 is in its normal elevated position and the trip arm41 of the clutch-pawl 35 is clear of the stop lugs 43 and 49, as shownin Fig. 8, the pawl is allowed to engage the clutch disk, transmittingmotion from the driving pulley to the main shaft 18, rotating thecounting wheels 23 and actuating the feed wheels 8 and 9 and the flail20. Upon now placing a supplemental hopper 53 filled with pencils intothe main hopper 1 and withdrawing the slide 56, the pencils aresuccessively fed into the chute 5 by the feed wheels as here inbeforedescribed. As the twelve seats of the rotating counting wheelssuccessively pass by the delivery end of the chute they each receive asingle pencil, the pencils being carried rearwardly past the springfingers 30 and dropped into the receiver 25. Immediately after thecounting wheels have made a complete revolution and consequently counteda dozen pencils and dropped them into the receiver, the trip lug 42 ofthe clutch pawl encounters the movable stop lug 43 and swings thestop-arm 44 against the fixed stop 49, as shown in Fig. 6, therebyarresting said movable stop arm which in turn acts as a-positive stop orabutment. As the carrying arm 36 of the pawl continues to rotate withthe main shaft. 18, the trip arm 4-1 is swung backward, lifting the pawlout of engagement with the clutch disk, as shown in F 6, throwing themain shaft out of gear with the driving pulley 1'7 and stopping thecounting wheels and other parts actuated by said shaft. The cam 50 andspring pressed roller 51 aid in efi'ecting the prom disengagement of theclutch pawl from the clutch disk and insure an accurate count of eachbatch of pencils delivered into the receiver. For this purpose, theparts are so arranged that the highest part of the cam passes saidroller just as the pawl begins to recede from the clutch disk. Therollerspring 52 by its reaction gives the camand the shaft 18 a slightforward impulse and as the pawl-carrying arm 36 is secured to saidshaft, this action result-s in withdrawing the pawl from said disk withcertainty. After the machine has counted and dropped twelve pencils intothe receiver, the operator grasps the batch and at the same time pressesthem downward to depress the receiver, after which he removes thecounted batch of pencils, thus allowing the receiver to return to itselevated position under the action of its spring 28. The vibration ofthe pencil receiver in the act of removing the counted batch of pencilsresults in reengaging the clutch pawl 35 with the clutch disk 34,causing the machine to count and deliver another dozen of pencils, thisoperation being repeated every time the operator removes a batch ofpencils from the receiver. This reengaging action of the clutch pawlwill be understood from an inspection of Figs. 6 and 7. ()n depressingthe pencil receiver, the 'alined fixed and movable stops 43 and 49descend with it, causing the lower movable stop lug 43 to slide downwardout of engagement with the lug .42 of the trip arm and allowing it tosnap back to the position shown in Fig. 7, while the fixed stop 49follows and takes the former place of the pivoted stop, the fixed stopmoving down in front of the lug of said trip arm before the pivoted stopclears it, thus con tinuing to hold the clutch pawl out of engagementwith the clutch disk, as shown in Fig. 7. On the upward stroke of thepencil receiver, said fixed stop rises out of engagement with the lug ofthe trip arm 41, releasing the latter and allowing the pawl to reengagethe clutch disk under the action of its spring 40, as shown in Figs. 8and 9, thereby again actuating the counting wheels and counting anddelivering another batch of pencils.

By so organizing the machine that the operation of the counting wheelsis under the control of the operator, the machine delivers the countedbatches of pencils no faster than the operator can remove and pack them,avoiding the liability of producing a congestion of pencils in thereceiver and an inaccurate count ofthe same.

In order to obtain the best results, it is desirable to locate the chute5 forwardly out of line with the axis of the counting wheels, so as tobring the delivery end of the chute over the front or receiving side ofsaid wheels where the position of their seats is such as to allow but asingle pencil to escape from the chute at a time. This ar rangement ofthe chute is especially desirable in connection with article seatshaving the form of ratchet teeth as shown, inasmuch as the rear sides ofthe seats in passing the delivery end of the chute assume a more or lessinclined position, insuring the deposit of a single pencil at a timeinto each seat.

Various modifications may obviously be made in the machine within thescope of the appended claims, and I do not therefore wish to be limitedto the particular construct-ion herein shown and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the character de scribed, the combination of a feedhopper, oscillatory feed wheels arranged at opposite sides of the outletof the hopper, means for actuating said wheels, and counting mechanismarranged to receive the articles after passing the feed wheels.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feedhopper, a chute, opposing feed devices arranged between the outlet ofthe hopper and the mouth of the chute, means for oscillating said feeddevices, and counting mechanism arranged to receive the articles afterpassing the chute.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feedhopper, a pair of transverse shafts arranged at opposite sides of thehopper-outlet, opposing feed wheels mounted on said shafts, means foroscillating said shafts, and counting mechanism arranged to receive thearticles after passing said wheels.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feedhopper, a pair of transverse shafts arranged at opposite sides of thehopper-outlet and each having a gear pinion, an oscillating gearengaging both of said pinions, means for actuating said gear, opposingfeed wheels mounted on said shafts, and counting mechanism arranged toreceive the articles after passing said wheels.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feedhopper, feed Wheels arranged at opposite sides of the hopper-outlet,means for rotating said wheels, an article-straightening wheel arrangedadjacent to said feed wheels, and counting mechanism arranged to receivethe articles after passing said feed wheels.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feedhopper, transverse shafts arranged at opposite sides of thehopper-outlet, opposing feed wheels fixed to said shafts, anarticle-straightening wheel mounted loosely on one of said shafts,andcounting mechanism arranged to receive the articles after passingsaid feed whee-ls.

7 In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feedhopper,

transverse shafts arranged at opposite sides of the hopper-outlet, andeach carrying a plurality of feed wheels, an article-straightening wheelloosely mounted on one of said shafts between the feed wheels thereof,and counting mechanism arranged to receive the articles after passingsaid feed Wheels.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feedhopper, counting mechanism, feed mechanism arranged between thehopper-outlet and the counting mechanism, a rock shaft arranged adjacentto said outlet, and a beater mounted on said shaft and adapted toagitate the articles in the hopper.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotarycounting device having article-seats, means for actuating said device,means for automatically arresting said counting device after deliveringa predetermined number of articles, and a supply-chute having its discharge end arranged out of line with the axis of the counting device andabove its receiving side.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a mainfeed hopper and counting mechanism arranged to receive the articlestherefrom, of a supplemental hopper removably fitted in said main hopperand having an opening in its bottom and a slide applied to said opening,and counting mechanism arranged to receive the articles after passingsaid supplemental hopper.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination with mainfeed hopper having a longitudinal slut in its bottom narrower than thelength of the articles to be counted, a supplemental hopper removablyfitted in said main hopper and having an outlet corresponding to theoutlet of the main hopper and a longitudinal slot corresponding to theslot of the main hopper, a slide applied to the slot of the supplementalhopper, and counting mechanism arranged to receive the articles afterpassing the supplemental hopper.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination of amovable counting device, means for actuating said device, and a movablereceiver for the counted articles controlling said actuating means.

13. In a machine of the character described, the combination of amovable counting device, means for actuating said device, automaticmeans for disconnecting the counting device from said actuating meansafter the counting of a predetermined number of articles, andmanually-controlled means for connecting the counting device with. saidactuating means.

14. In a machine of the character described, the combination of amovable count ing device, means for actuating said device,

automatic means for disconnecting said counting device from saidactuating means after counting of a predetermined number of articles, amovable receiver for the counted articles, and means controlled by saidreceiver for connecting the counting device with said actuatingmechanism.

15. In a machine of the character described, the combination of amovable counting device, driving mechanism for said device, a clutch forthrowing the counting device into and out of gear with said drivingmechanism, automatic means for disconnecting the members of said clutchafter the counting of a predetermined number of articles, a movablereceiver for the counted articles, and means controlled by said receiverfor reengaging said clutch members.

16. In a machine of the character described, the combination of amovable counting device, driving mechanism for said device, a clutch forthrowing the counting device into and out of gear with said drivingmechanism, automatic means for disconnecting the members of said clutchafter the counting of a predetermined number of articles, a movablereceiver for the counted articles, and means carried by said receiverand controlling the reengagement of said clutch members.

17. In a machine of the character described, the combination of amovable counting device, means for driving the same, and a depressiblereceiver for the counted articles controlling said driving means.

18. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotarycounting wheel, means for delivering articles thereto, driving meanstherefor, a clutch for throwing said wheel into and out of gear withsaid driving means, one member of said clutch having a trip device, amovable re ceiver for the counted articles, and stopmeans movable withsaid receiver and arranged to stand in the path of said trip device inthe elevated position of the receiver and to release said trip devicewhen the receiver is actuated.

19. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotarycounting wheel, means for delivering articles thereto, driving meanstherefor, a clutch for throwing said wheel into and out of gear withsaid driving means, one member of said clutch having a trip device, amovable receiver for the counted articles, a pair of stops carried bythe receiver and cooperating with said trip device, one of said stopsbeing fixed and the other movable relatively thereto and adapted to abutagainst the same, the fixed stop being arranged to clear saidtrip-device in the normal position of the receiver and the movable stopto stand in the path of the trip device.

20. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotarycounting wheel, means for delivering articles thereto, driving meanstherefor, a clutch for throwing said wheel into and out of gear withsaid driving means, one member of said clutch having a trip device, amovable re ceiver for the counted articles, and a spring for normallywithdrawing the movable stop from the fixed stop.

21. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotaryshaft, a counting wheel mounted thereon, means for delivering articlesto said wheel, a driving member for said wheel, a clutch disk carried bythe driving member, a cooperating clutch pawl carried by the countingwheel shaft and having a trip arm, a receiver for the counted articlespivoted to swing at right angles to the counting-wheel shaft, a pair ofcooperating stops movable with the receiver, one of said stops beingfixed and the other pivoted in rear thereof and adapted to abut againstthe same, and a spring tending to withdraw the movable stop from thefixed stop, the fixed stop being arranged to clear said trip arm in theelevated position of the receiver and to stand in its path in thedepressed position of the receiver, and said movable stop being arrangedin the path of said trip armin the elevated position of the receiver andto stand below and clear thereof in the depressed position of thereceiver.

22. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a feeddevice, a counting. wheel having peripheral seats arranged to receivethe articles from the feed device, and an elastic stop-finger arrangedadjacent to the edge of the counting wheel.

23. In a machine of the character described, the combination of acounting wheel, driving means therefor, and a movable receiver for thecounted articles controlling said driving mechanism, said receivercomprising a pair of separated pockets adapted to receive the endportions of the articles.

24. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a shaftcarrying a counting wheel, a driving means for said shaft, a clutchcomprising a disk connected with said driving means and a cooperatingclutch-pawl carried by said shaft, and automatic means for disengagingsaid pawl from said disk, including a cam mounted on said shaft and aspring pressed member engaging said cam.

Witness my hand this 17th day of July,

EDWARD KOLB. Witnesses EDWIN B. JELLIJY, C. F. Gavan.

